KATR-FM (98.3 FM, "Kat Country 98.3") is a

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

licensed A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...

to serve

Otis, Colorado Otis is a Statutory Town in Washington County, Colorado, United States. The population was 511 at the 2020 census. History Otis was established in 1882 as a construction campsite for workers building the Burlington & Missouri River rail line ...

, United States. The station, which began broadcasting in 1983, is currently owned by Media Logic, LLC.

Programming

KATR-FM broadcasts a

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

format to the greater

Sterling, Colorado Sterling is a home rule municipality and the county seat and most populous municipality of Logan County, Colorado, United States. Sterling is the principal city of the Sterling, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city population was 13,735 ...

, area. The station also airs

ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to: * ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation * ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company ABC News may a ...

updates at the top of every hour, frequent "Ag Network Market Update" reports, and ''

The Huckabee Report ''The Huckabee Report'' was a radio program hosted by former Republican governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee, that aired from January 2009 to May 1, 2015. The program was broadcast on Cumulus Media Networks (formerly Citadel Media and ABC Radio Ne ...

''.

History

This station received its original

construction permit Planning permission or building permit refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. House building permits, for example, are subject to bu ...

from the

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...

on May 26,

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...

. The new station was assigned the KRQZ-FM

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...

by the FCC on September 7, 1982. In October 1982, KRDZ Broadcasters, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this still-under construction station to J-Bar-T Broadcasting Company, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on December 14, 1982, and the transaction was consummated on January 20, 1983. KRQZ-FM received its license to cover from the FCC on April 26, 1984. Facing financial difficulties, J-Bar-T Broadcasting Company, Inc., went into receivership and an application was filed to involuntarily transfer the license to Frank Duke, receiver. The deal was approved by the FCC on April 21, 1986. In August 1987, Frank Duke reached an agreement to sell this station to WRAY Radio, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on September 22, 1987, and the transaction was consummated on September 25, 1987. On October 7, 1987, the new owners had the station's

changed to KRDZ-FM. Just over a year later, on November 20, 1988, the call sign was changed again, this time to KATR-FM. WRAY Radio, Inc., announced an agreement in July 1990 to sell KATR-FM to New Directions Media, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on July 25, 1990, and the transaction was consummated on August 1, 1990. New Directions Media, Inc., announced in August 2002 that they had agreed to sell this station to Media Logic, LLC. The deal was approved by the FCC on October 28, 2002, and the transaction was consummated on October 31, 2002.

Awards and honors

The station's official website, katcountry983.com, won the Best Small Market Website honor for 2008 from the Colorado Broadcasters Association. The CBA awarded KATR-FM the runner-up certificate for Best On Air Contest for a Station to honor their 2007 "Kat Country Ugly Truck" promotion. That contest features an old

pickup truck A pickup truck or pickup is a Truck_classification#Table_of_US_GVWR_classifications, light or medium duty truck that has an enclosed cabin (truck), cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (th ...

, refurbished by the station, and given away to a lucky listener.

References

External links

KATR-FM official website
{{Country Radio Stations in Colorado ATR-FM Country radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1983 Sterling, Colorado Washington County, Colorado